You should seek legal advice before applying for a grant of Legal Aid. You can do this by contacting your state or territory Legal Aid office and explaining your legal problem. The Legal Aid advisor can help determine what kind of assistance you will benefit from. It may be that a brief session with a Legal Aid lawyer is all you need or perhaps you can rely on the information brochures provided by Legal Aid. If you wish to plead guilty to a criminal offence a Legal Aid duty lawyer can assist you on the day of your hearing. Otherwise the Legal Aid advisor might determine that you should apply for a grant of Legal Aid which will provide funding for a lawyer to represent you. This involves paperwork and potential costs for you which is why you should discuss your circumstances with the Legal Aid office first.